It is estimated that one in five Americans has a sexually transmitted infection (STI), according to a new report.
Data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that there were almost 68 million STIs on a given day (prevalent) and 26 million recent STIs (incident) in 2018.
Moreover, almost 50 percent of all STI incidents were diagnosed in those aged 15 to 24 years.
The report also found that STIs purchased that year cost the U.S. medical system nearly $ 16 billion in direct medical costs alone.
The CDC says its new estimates are critical to a “better understanding of the ITS sphere in the United States” and that more action is needed to
New CDC figures estimate that there were 67.6 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the US on any given day in 2018
Almost half, 45.4%, of all newly acquired infections – for a total of 11.9 million – were among people aged 18 to 24 years (over)
An STI, sometimes called a sexually transmitted disease (STD), is an infection that is transmitted from one person to another through sexual contact either vaginally, orally or anal.
Some are bacterial infections that can be cured with a single dose of antibiotics, while others are viral infections that cannot be cured but can be modulated with antivirals.
STIs do not always have symptoms and, if left undiagnosed and untreated, can have serious health consequences.
Some infections can increase the risk of HIV or cause chronic pelvic pain, pelvic inflammatory disease and even infertility.
Currently, STIs cause approximately 2.7 deaths per 100,000 people, mainly due to HIV and HPV (human papillomavirus) infections.
For the report published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases, the CDC focused on eight STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, syphilis, genital herpes, HPV, sexually transmitted hepatitis B, and sexually transmitted HIV.
The number of prevalent infections and incidents was calculated by multiplying each estimated STI by the estimated total resident population.
The results revealed about 67.6 million STIs in one day.
With a population of about 320 million people, the authors say that this suggests that about 20% of Americans had STIs at some point in 2018.
The researchers also found that there were approximately 26.2 million STI incidents in the US in 2018
The four most common infections were chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes and HPV, accounting for 97.6% of all STIs on a given day and 93.1% of all newly acquired STIs.
Of these new infections in 2018, about half or 45.4% were contracted by Americans between the ages of 15 and 24.
“The STI burden is staggering,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC National Center for HIV / AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STDs and TB Prevention, in a statement.
“At a time when ITS had reached a record high, they left the national conversation. However, STIs are a national threat that can be prevented and treated, with substantial personal and economic impact.
The new infections are likely to cost the US health care system about $ 16 billion in lifetime medical costs, most of which are related to HIV treatment (above).
Moreover, these new infections are likely to cost the US health care system about $ 16 billion in lifetime medical costs.
Most of the cost, $ 13.7 billion, is attributed to sexually transmitted HIV infections due to the lifespan of antiviral treatment.
The second most expensive STI was HPV, with about $ 755 million in treatment not only for infection but also for HPV-related cancers.
Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 account for about 60 percent of the combined costs of health care for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, according to the CDC.
Women account for nearly 75 percent of the $ 2.2 billion in non-HIV-related STI medical costs, the agency said.
“There are significant human and financial costs associated with these infections and we know from other studies that reducing STI prevention efforts leads to higher costs along the way,” said Raul Romaguera, interim director of the CDC’s STI Prevention Division. statement.
STI prevention could save billions in medical costs, but more importantly, prevention would improve the health and lives of millions of people.